ASSESSMENT AND ASSESSMENT AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATIONINCLUSIVE EDUCATION

BARRIER OR SUPPORT?BARRIER OR SUPPORT?

Seamus HegartySeamus Hegarty

UNESCO, Santiago 19 November 2009 UNESCO, Santiago 19 November 2009

OverviewOverview

Purposes of assessmentPurposes of assessment

Often seen as a problemOften seen as a problem

How assessment can helpHow assessment can help

What purposes What purposes does assessment does assessment serve in education?serve in education?

Purposes of assessmentPurposes of assessment

LearnersLearners

What do they know?What do they know?What are they learning?What are they learning?Do they have difficulties in Do they have difficulties in

learning?learning?And, if so, why?And, if so, why?

Ditto for skills and attitudesDitto for skills and attitudes

Purposes of assessmentPurposes of assessment

TeachersTeachers

What should my students be What should my students be learning?learning?

How well am I facilitating their How well am I facilitating their learning?learning?

Do I need to change my Do I need to change my pedagogy?pedagogy?

Purposes of assessmentPurposes of assessment

SystemSystemAre pupils graded/certificatedAre pupils graded/certificated- accurately? meaningfully? fairly?- accurately? meaningfully? fairly?

How do our schools perform in How do our schools perform in comparison with each other? with comparison with each other? with other countries?other countries?

Are schools transforming young Are schools transforming young people's lives? preparing them people's lives? preparing them

for adult for adult life?life?

Why is assessment so often Why is assessment so often deemed to be a problem for deemed to be a problem for inclusive education?inclusive education?

problemsproblems

Information derived from assessment Information derived from assessment not useful for learning and teaching, not useful for learning and teaching, or not used wellor not used well

Comparative information used Comparative information used inappropriatelyinappropriately

Some assessment practices are Some assessment practices are exclusionaryexclusionary

How can assessment help How can assessment help inclusive education?inclusive education?

How can assessment help How can assessment help students with SEN receive students with SEN receive a good education?a good education?

Deal with the downsideDeal with the downside

Inappropriate and unhelpful labellingInappropriate and unhelpful labelling Misuse of raw test resultsMisuse of raw test results Allowing tests to dictate the Allowing tests to dictate the

curriculumcurriculum

Capitalise on the upsideCapitalise on the upside

Information that helps teachersInformation that helps teachers• TargetTarget• Monitor Monitor • ImproveImprove

Capitalise on the upsideCapitalise on the upside

Information that helps teachersInformation that helps teachers• TargetTarget• Monitor Monitor • ImproveImprove

Capitalise on the upsideCapitalise on the upside

Information that helps teachersInformation that helps teachers• TargetTarget• Monitor Monitor • ImproveImprove

Allocating resourcesAllocating resources Monitoring performanceMonitoring performance

AssessmentAssessment

barrier or support?barrier or support?

Muchas Muchas gracias!gracias!

Assessment tools for teachersAssessment tools for teachers

Screening instrumentsScreening instruments Structured tasksStructured tasks Achievement testsAchievement tests Social measuresSocial measures (Specialist tools)(Specialist tools)